Combined shipping-crate and table



R. I. SCHONITZER.

COMBINED SHIPPING CRATE AND TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19. 1918.

1,390,728, PatentedSept. 13, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET lament-oz R. l; SCHONITZER.

COMBINED SHIPPING CRATE AND TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19. 1918.

1,390,728. PatentedSept. 13,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ RUDOLPH I. SCHONITZER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 J. K. WILLIAMS, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

COMBINED SHIPPING-CRATE AND TABLE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. RUDOLPH I. Sorro- NITznR, a citizen of the United States, residingat Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Combined Shipping- Crate and Table, of which the following is a specification.

the shape of the crate being rectangular. The other two sides are detachably associated with the permanent parts of the crate, and are designed to be detached from their normal positions and associated with the top of the crate as table top extensions disposed at opposite sides of the fixed top of the crate.

It is a very important object of the invention to provide for the convenient as semblage of the detachable sides of the crate in each of their two positions, and to maintain the detachable members as crate sides by means of fastenings which do not require manipulation when assembling and removing the detachable sides of the crate.

The detachable sides of the crate are a mainly supported in their table top positions by means of brackets which normally lie within the crate and are arranged to be viating the necessity of lifting the stove bodily through thetop of the crate.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed-out in the appended claims,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

Application filed October 19, 1918. Serial No. 258,846.

sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shipping crate embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale, the adjacent detachable side being detached.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan View of Fig. 3, the detachable side being in place.

F ig.- 5 is an enlarged side elevation show ing the two detachable sides fitted in place as table top extensions.

Fig. 6 is a detail enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail fragmentary sectional view taken through the joint between the fixed top of the crate and one of the table top extensions. a

The present crate is preferably constructed of wood, and each of its six sides is at right angles an integralslab of rectangular shape. The

crate includes a bottom 1, across the underside of which extend sills or sleepers 2 which project a distance at opposite sides of the bottom as best shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, for a purpose as will hereinafter appear. The two upright sides of the crate, which are designated 3 and 4 are rigidly connected to the bottom in any suitable manner and rise therefrom flush with the adjacent upright edges of the bottom. The top 5 of the crate is of the same dimensions as the bottom 1, rests upon the tops of the fixed sides 3 and 4 and is permanently connected thereto. A satisfactory connection between the fixed sides and the top and bot. tom of the crate is that of a dovetailed joint commonly employed in the construction of boxes. pon the exterior of each fixed up right side there is provided a loop or bail shaped handle 6 pivotally mounted in bearings 7 so as to hang down flat against the crate when not in use, and capable of being lifted into a horizontal position for convenience in carrying the crate. Each handle is provided with a stop member 8 to engage the adjacent side of the crate and thereby stop the upward movement of the handle when it has reached its operative substantially'horizontal position. The bearings 7 are preferably provided on a metallic plate 9 suitably secured to the side of the crate. Another reinforcing metallic plate 10 may be employed upon the inner face of the side of the box, and the two plates 9 and 10 connected through the side of the box by rivets or other suitable fasteners.

If desired each upright fixed side of the crate may be protected by metallic plates 11 and12 suitably secured to the exterior of said side at the top and bottom thereof, said plates covering the joints between the side of the crate and the top and bottom thereoof. As best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawin s, it will be noted that angle brackets 13,

o substantial L-slrape, are employed as brace connections between each fixed side of the plate and the top and bottom thereof.

Each bracket is applied to the edges of the the sills 2. Substantially L-shaped clips 15 are secured to the fixed sides 3 and 1 ad jacent the tops and bottoms thereof so as to embrace the detachable side 14, as best illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. These clips are the only means for holding the detachable side in place, and therefore it will be understood that the side may be readily lifted and detached from the crate without requiring vthe manipulation of movable fastenings. the bottom of the crate is spaced above the ground or other support, by reason of the sills 2, the detachable side may be readily pried up until'its top edge has been projected far enough above the top of the crate to permit of said top portion stationary side of the crate with one arm' being conveniently grasped for detaching the side. Each edge of this detachable side is protected by a metal strip or band 16 suitably secured thereto.

- For each detachable side there has been providedtwo brackets for supporting the side when used as a table top member. Eachbracket is of inverted L-shape and has a' brace 18 connecting the opposite ends of 'thefbracket. Two hinges are provided for the bracket. Each-hinge consists of a staico tionary leafmember '19, of substantially L- shape'which'is applied to the edgeof the *of'the member lying against the inner face -of"said side; I hinge is of substantially L-shape and has The other member 20 of the one end thereof pivotally connected to the inner arm of the stationary member 15) as indicated at 21. The upright member of the bracket is secured to the other arm of each swinging hinge member 20, as best shown in Fig. 6, whereby the bracket ma lie within the crate when not in use and may be swung out to a position at right angles to the crate as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. When the bracket is swung out into operative position, the bracket comes into engagement with the stationary members 19 of the hinges which therefore constitute wear plates. The free extremity of the bracket is provided with an upstanding projection 22 normally received within a seat or notch 23 in the adjacent edge of the top 5 of the crate thereby to limit the inward movement of the bracket in its normal position. lVhen the detachable'side of the crate is in place, the bracket will be effectually held in its normal position and prevented from swinging loosely within the crate.

After removing the detachable side and swinging the bracket 17 into supporting position, the detachable side of the crate is placed in position on top of the brackets, the projections 22 of the brackets being received in suitable seats or recesses 24 so as to prevent movement of the brackets while the detachable side is in its table top position. The detachable side is provided with a pair of fingers or projections. 25 which project at the bottom edge of the side, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and these projections under-lie the fixed top 5 of the crate, as best shown in Fig. 7, thereby preventing tilting and looseness of the table top extension when weight is placed upon the outer end thereof.

hat I claim is:

1. A shipping crate of rectangular form having a fixed top and provided with sills extending across the bottom of the crate and projecting therebeyond, one of the sides of the crate being separate from the top and edgewise detachable and normally resting at its bottom edge upon the projecting parts of the sills, and clips carried by other sides of the crate and embracing the detachable side to retain the same in place.

2. A shipping crate of rectangular form provided with opposite fixed sides and opposite detachable sides, handles upon the fixed sides, sills upon the bottom of the crate and projecting at opposite sides thereof, the detachable sides of the crate normally resting at their lower edges upon the projecting ends of the sills, and clips carried by the fixed sides of the crates and embracing the detachable sides of the crates, said detachable sides being free to be moved upwardly out of engagement with the clips.

3, A combined shipping crate and table of rectangular form having a fixed top, one of the sides of the crate being independent of the fixed top and detachable from the crate, and means for supporting the detachable side of the crate in position as an extension of the top of the crate to form a table top.

4. A combined shipping crate and table comprising a rectangular crate body having a fixed top and a side detachable from the crate, means to detachably retain the detachable side upon the crate, means for supporting the detachable side in position as an extension to the top of the crate to form a table top, said supporting means including a bracket carried by the inner face of a fixed side of the crate and normally housed within the crate and capable of being moved out of the crate and into operative position for supporting the detachable side when employed as a table top.

5. A combined shipping crate and table comprising a rectangu ar crate body having a fixed top and a side detachable from the crate, means for detachably retaining the detachable side upon the crate, means for supporting the detachable side in position as an extension of the top of the crate to form a table top, said supporting means including a bracket normally housed within the crate and having a hinge connection with the inner face of one of the fixed sides of the crate to permit of the bracket being swung outwardly into operative position for supporting the removable side as a table top.

6. A combined shipping crate and table comprising a rectangular crate body having a removable side, means for supporting the removable side in position as an extension of the top of the crate to form a table top, said supporting means including a bracket normally housed within the crate and havin a hinge connection therewith to permit 0% the bracket being swung outwardly into operative position, the top of the bracket being provided with an upstanding projection, the adjacent edge of the top of the crate being provided with a seat to receive the projection when the bracket is within the crate, and the removable side of the crate having a seat to receive the projection when said side is supported upon the bracket.

7. A combined shipping crate and table of rectangular form having a fixed top and provided with sills extending across the bot tom of the crate and projecting at one side of the crate, one of the sides of the crate be ing removable and normally resting at its bottom edge upon the projecting parts of the sills, a projection carried by the removable side and projectin downwardly below the bottom thereof, an means for supporting the removable side of the crate in position as an extension of the top of the crate to form a table top, the rojection carried by the removable side un erlying the fixed top of the crate when the removable side is employed as a table top.

8. A combined shipping crate and table top comprising a rectangular crate body having sills across the bottom thereof and projecting at one side of the crate, one of the sides of the crate being removable and normally supported at its lower edge upon the projecting ends of the sill, clips provided upon the crate and embracing the removable side to retain it in position, said side being removable upwardly through the clips, and a pair of brackets hinged to opposite sides of the crate and capable of being folded into the crate and also capable of being swung out into operative positions, whereby the removable side of the crate may be supported upon the brackets in cooperative relation with the top of the crate to form a table top.

RUDOLPH I. SCHONITZER. 

